Those of us in the northern hemisphere are in our winter phase. The astronomical start of winter officailly arrives Wednesday, December 21 at 2:44 am PST. This is known as the winter solstice.

Are you ready? Even though most of us are already experiencing winter weather we still need to make it through until spring. Do you have enough throw blankets in your decor for snuggling under? Don't forget the hot chocolate! Another winter must you don't want to be without.

Are you having family and friends to your home for the holidays? Are you secretly or not so secretly freaking out because of everything you think you need to do?

Holidays can become overly stressful, especially for the hostess. I have found that our expectations are never that of our guests. They are there to enjoy you and perhaps share a meal with you and yours. No one is there to count the cobwebs. Well, maybe great aunt Sofia will, but that's her idea of entertainment so let her be.

To reduce your stress and help you enjoy the holidays clean your home or hire someone to come do it for you if you can. And then slow down and relax. You know your home is ready so focus on the food.

Our homes should reflect our personality. Your home should be a beacon of who you are and what you love. You can find inspiration for decorating all around you, but here are 3 tips to help you decorate with intention.

Look to your heart, not the trends. Just because a certain color had been declared the color of the year doesn't mean it's right for you. When choosing a color palette for your home ask yourself if it makes your heart sing.

Look in your closet. Are you still unsure if you can live with that color? Open your closet. Do you see that color hanging there? What color stands out most to you in all your clothes? If you see it in your closet chances are you love it enough to live with it.

Buy less, but buy better quality. Don't surround yourself with lower quality just to fill your home. Decide what you want and save to buy the best quality you can. Your furnishings will last. Quality is a must.

A friend recently told me that she is feeling the winter blues this year. The lack of sunlight is giving her a mild case of SAD (seasonal affective disorder). Her symptoms are mild so she doesn't need medication or a special light. After a bit of research she decided to use some bright colors in her home to trick her brain into a happier mood.

She is adding splashes of bright colors. Adding color to boost your mood is something that has been covered before in this blog. It does have some relevance for this time of year in the northern hemisphere where our days are shorter with less sunlight. Adding throw pillows to your rooms in bright colors is one way to brighten the room. Bright photographs on the walls also bring in those happy colors. Don't forget to try flowering houseplants. Flowers always make us feel better.

Do you have any tricks that you use to overcome those winter blues? Share them in the comments!

For a limited time only I have decided to offer you the opportunity to purchase coffee mugs featuring some of my photo art. Currently there is only a small number of my photographs that offer this product.

These are fun inexpensive gifts for teachers, your hairstylist or any other people you would like to remember this season. You can make them personalized by filling them with special goodies. If you see a photograph that doesn't have this product offering contact me and I will make it available for you.